Jurassic World: Evolution
by ShanteRenee
Summary: It's been a year since Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Claire, Owen & Maisie are trying to adjust to their new life. But when new threats of human cloning, dinosaur trafficking & Ingen arise, will these three have what it takes to stay together and make it through? Rated M just to be sure.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. So I'm back! It's been a long time. I blame Clawenforever. She's gotten me addicted to Jurassic World & now I can't stop reading it! So I've been itching to do my own fanfic after reading hers. Go check hers out if you haven't already. They are amazing! I hope you like my fanfic. As a disclaimer: I'm very busy. I work 2 jobs and go to GRADUATE school full time. What I'm saying is please don't kill me if I can't update every few days. I promise to update once a week minimium, but hopefully more than that. Okay. Enjoy!**

"Do you have to go?"

Iris Carroll smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. It was a bittersweet moment for her. She glanced down at the little girl who'd tearfully asked the question. For years, Iris was convinced she was the only one who knew how to properly care for the girl. No one else would understand. She glanced up at the red-haired woman clutching the young girl's hand, looking on in silence. Next to her, stood a domineering man who Iris knew would not hesitate to protect both the girl and the woman in a second. Even only knowing the pair for a year, she knew they would protect the girl. Iris knew she was getting older and would not be able to keep up with a hormonal teenager soon. But Claire and Owen…they were the parents Maisie deserved. She knew the girl was in safe hands.

"Hey now," Iris cooed as she bent down to be eye level with Maisie. "You're going to be fine. You're a big girl now, right?"

"Yes." Maisie replied, sniffing slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, Iris does not miss Claire squeeze Maisie's hand softly in reassurance. "I am."

"You'll see me again soon." Iris had asked that Claire and Owen keep in touch with her, just so that she could have piece of mind knowing that Maisie was safe.

"For Christmas?" Maisie asked hopefully.

This time Iris grinned. "For Christmas, Mais. We'll watch _Elf_ & eat s'mores, just like always. Okay?"

This made Maisie smile. "Okay!"

" _Now boarding gate B8 to Orlando. Please have your tickets ready."_

Iris turned slightly to glance behind her. Her flight was now boarding. She tightened her grip on her luggage and faced Maisie again. "Give me a hug, darling."

This time, Maisie could not stop the sob that escaped her lips as she dropped Claire's hand and hugged Iris with all her might. This was the only woman she'd every known, apart from Eli & her grandfather. Owen & Claire were great, but Iris was leaving. Maisie knew she could call and talk to Iris whenever she wanted to, but it wouldn't be the same as seeing her every day. Or getting to sneak up on her and scare her, like she used to. She would miss this woman.

"Okay, I've got to go. But you're in great hands. I'm only a phone call away, okay?"

"Okay." Maisie said, nodding. She then stepped back and reclaimed Claire's hand.

Claire, Owen & Maisie waited until Iris disappeared onto the plane before turning to leave. The ride home was quiet. Maisie stared out the window and tried to be happy that Iris would finally get to spend some time with her family in Florida. Being the sole provider for Maisie her entire life, Iris had rarely got time off.

"Hey kiddo, are you hungry? We could stop for some McDonald's." Owen's voice broke through Maisie's thoughts.

"I'm not hungry." Maisie replied.

"You sure?" Claire asked, turning around in the passenger's seat to look at Maisie, who was sitting behind the driver's seat. "You love McDonalds."

"What if she doesn't come for Christmas?" Maisie asked, tearing her eyes away from the window to look at Claire.

"She will Maisie." Claire quickly said.

"Hm." Maisie sulked the rest of the ride home, and Claire & Owen were both silent, lost in thought. It had been a tough day on them all. It had been a crazy year. Claire had been busy running DPG & looking after the dinosaurs that had been successfully captured & placed on the sanctuary that Lockwood estates had put aside for them. There was still some that had been kidnapped by poachers & other sick people who sold them on the black market. There were rumors of weaponized dinosaurs, but nothing had been confirmed. It was Franklin's job to keep Claire abreast of anything that came remotely close to that.

After her grandfather died, Maisie technically didn't exist except to a handful of people. Mills would have been her guardian, but when he died, the question was still up in the air. Luckily, her grandfather had had his suspicions of Mills, & made a backup Will. In his will, he left Maisie to Iris, & left his possessions to DPG.

Claire, Owen & Iris had decided that Maisie & Iris would live with Claire & Owen until things were settled, and they could figure things out. Iris decided it would be best to let Claire & Owen raise Maisie, because she was not as young as she once was. All her paperwork like her social security card & birth certificate was safely stored away. It took a little over a year, but the adoption process was finally complete. Claire & Owen were her parents, & she finally had her family. As far as the Government knew, Maisie was Lockwood's granddaughter. Not a clone.

Owen worked as an advisor to the DTC (Dinosaur Tracking & Containment) Division of the Government. They trusted his skills & he was instrumental in capturing most of the dinosaurs. These days, Owen helped track the illegal trafficking of dinosaurs, & helped the Government stop the "underground scientists" trying to hatch more.

During all of this, Iris had been instrumental in Maisie's development, and keeping her on as much of a normal routine as possible. Maisie remained homeschooled and protested it every chance she got. It was summer break now, and her main goal was to try to be as much of a normal kid as possible. She knew she'd have to pick the right time and place to ask (beg) Claire & Owen to let her enter public school to be with kids her own age. She knew she could handle it. She just had to prove it to them, that's all.

"We're home." Owen announced, pulling the SUV into the driveway. It had been tough to decide where 4 people were going to live immediately following the aftermath of everything. Claire's condo was too close to the city for Owen's liking. & He never got a chance to finish building the cabin. But even then, he'd always envisioned it as being a vacation home. A place to escape from civilization. Iris had only known the Lockwood Estates as her home, and it was mutually agreed that they start fresh. The settlements Owen & Claire received from the Masrani Corporation was enough for them to invest into a 4-bedroom home on the outskirts of town, away from the city life that Owen despised so much. They had enough money remaining to life off for a while—not to mention the inheritance that Lockwood left for Maisie. Working was more of a way to keep themselves busy and doing what they loved more than anything.

"I miss her already." Maisie said once she was out of the SUV.

"I do too." Claire admitted, walking around the car to join Maisie. Owen nodded.

"Same here. But you know what?" He smiled, looking down at Maisie.

"What?"

"Now we have an extra room to turn into the ultimate game room!"

"Oh, yeah." Maisie said, nodding.

Claire rolled her eyes as she fished her keys from her pockets. Opening the door, they walked in. Immediately the loss of Iris could be felt. Claire hoped that she and Owen would be able to handle the new responsibility of raising Maisie alone. Cooking dinner, washing clothes, doing her hair, all of it— _majority of it—_ would fall on Claire. But she was prepared. She'd been carefully studying the way Iris interacted with Maisie. She planned to make sure nothing really changed in Maisie's daily routine.

"How about we watch a movie, huh kiddo?" Owen asked Maisie. Claire looked at him. It was getting late, and she didn't want to start anything that wouldn't be kept up as a routine with Maisie.

"It's getting late, Owen."

"It's the summer, Claire. Relax." He countered.

"Can we watch Finding Dory?" Maisie asked, bouncing between them.

Claire sighed in defeat. "I'll get the popcorn."

"Yay!" Owen & Maisie cheered in unison.

"Thanks, Claire!" Maisie smiled at her, and Claire grinned.

"Gotcha!" Owen scooped up Maisie in his arms and caused her to giggle. "We'll be in the living room. Hurry up before the movie starts!" He called over his shoulders as he began carrying Maisie into the living room.

Five minutes later, Claire grabbed the popcorn bag and emptied the contents into a big purple bowl that Karen had bought her for Christmas. She, Owen & Maisie only got about 25 minutes into the movie before Maisie was knocked out, sprawled out across both Claire & Owen.

"See." Owen whispered to Claire. "All apart of my plan. She's out like a light. You gotta trust me sometimes."

Claire could only laugh. She carefully got up and helped move a sleeping Maisie onto his shoulders. They put her to bed and then carefully closed her bedroom door.

"Now. Do you want to watch a movie, or make one?"

 **What did you think?! This is just to set the story up. The good stuff is coming, don't worry! Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so a few of you read it lol thanks. (Even though I got no reviews?!) I couldn't help but write again, so here you go, enjoy!**

 **Chapter 2**

"Owen!" Claire yelled in a hushed whisper.

"Kidding. Kinda." He laughed as he grabbed her hand and led her to their bedroom.

"Mhm." Claire replied as she let him lead her across the house, and down the hallway to their room. Once inside, she watched as he closed & locked the bedroom door behind them and then yanked off his shirt. Her eyes traveled down his body, appreciating the fact that he kept himself in such good shape.

"Do you like what you see?" He smirked, tossing his shirt aside.

"Oh." Claire immediately went red, having been caught gawking at him. "I, uh—yeah."

"You don't just have to look. You can touch, if you want." Owen grinned when he saw how she was reacting. Claire was always very formal & disciplined. She disliked being in uncomfortable situations, that Owen always loved to put her in. Like right now. He was having fun. When he took a step towards her, she backed up.

"What are you doing?" She asked, eyes wide.

"Come here." He said, motioning for her to come.

Claire hesitated.

"I won't bite—much."

More redness from Claire.

Owen sighed before closing the distance between them.

"Owen—" Claire's next words were cut off as Owen crushed his lips against hers, desperate to taste her. He loved kissing her. She tasted like heaven. He could feel her tense and alarmed for only the briefest of moments before she gave in and melted into him. Her hands wrapped themselves around his neck, and he gripped her small waist, pulling her into the length of him. When breathing no longer became and an option but a necessity, he broke off the kiss. Panting hard, he traced her bottom lip with his thumb. The shyness was now gone from her eyes. Desire replaced them as she stared silently at him. She wasn't usually one to make the first move, but every once in a while, she would surprise him. Kissing him again, she repositioned them so that they tumbled onto the bed. Owen smiled beneath the kisses, happy to oblige.

It was 1:43 AM, and Claire couldn't sleep. She rested her head on Owen's chest and listed to his soft breathing as she felt his chest rise and fall gently. She was worried about Maisie. Maisie had been through so much at just 10 years old. She new the little girl was strong and tough, but she still worried. Tomorrow she would have to talk with Owen about sticking to a routine for Maisie, so that her life wouldn't change drastically now that Iris was gone.

After the first few weeks after everything that had happened, Maisie would frequently run into Claire and Owen's room—sometime Iris's—screaming in terror. Her nightmares were reoccurring, always with someone dying, being chased or eaten. The indoraptor would sometimes still haunt Claire as well. She would awake in a cold sweat and panic, with Owen gently trying to calm her. "Shhh, it's okay, you're safe." He would say. She knew it was true. But the dreams would seem so real.

She was glad the dinosaurs were protected and safe and away from human interference. The island sanctuary that Lockwood set up for them was big, and able to sustain them without much interaction needed from humans. Of course, the dinosaurs still needed humans to watch over them and keep them healthy. Zia oversaw the Vets & Technicians that would go and check on the dinosaurs in quarterly expeditions. It was now a division of DPG.

Owen stirred slightly in his sleep, and Claire held still so as not to wake him. She yawned, knowing she needed to get some rest. She wasn't sure when, but she drifted off into sleep, thinking about all the things she still needed to do.

"Claire."

"Mhm?" A sleepy Claire mumbled, refusing to open her eyes.

"Would you check your damn phone? It's been going off like crazy!" Owen groaned.

"Hmm?" Claire replied, only half listening.

"Answer. Your. Phone." Owen growled.

"Okay. Phone, got it." Claire could now hear the familiar buzzing as several incoming text came in. She squinted at the clock: it was 6:45 in the morning. She didn't have to be up until 8. She inwardly groaned.

 _Claire. They are up to something. Call me ASAP._

 _Claire, get up. This is important._

 _Claire!_

She quickly scanned the remaining similar texts, all from Franklin. Deciding that calling would be quicker than texting, she dialed his number.

"Franklin? What's going on?"

"Claire!"

"Yes, Franklin. What's going on?" She repeated, trying to stay focused.

"You told me to keep you updated on anything related to Ingen."

Claire's eyes snapped open at the sound of that. "Yes, and?" She asked, sitting up. Next to her, Owen turned over to look at her.

"Remember we thought it was weird that they haven't been coming up on the radar?"

"Yeah?"

"They've been deep underground. Doing all sorts of experiments. I was able to get into their files today. One of the auto bugs I set up a few months ago was able to hack into their classified files."

"What sort of experiments?" Claire asked, fully awake now.

"They've been trying to recreate the environment for Lockwood's lab results. They're trying to clone people. The people they've taken as lab rats have been missing for months!"

"Oh my god." She sighed and covered her mouth.

"What's going on?" Owen mouthed to her, but she shook her head.

"That's not it." Franklin continued.

"What? What else?" Claire probed, not sure if she could handle any more news.

"The files of Maisie you had redacted aren't the official files available on the dark web. My filter popped up with information about Maisie this morning at 2:34 AM. Someone leaked files of Lockwood's experiments of her. It doesn't explicitly say her name, but it wouldn't take much to put it together."

Claire's heart nearly stopped. "No!"

The secret files that told of Maisie's true origins were currently held by Claire and Owen. Iris swore that the were the only ones with the original copies. The lawyers, the judge, no one knew of these files. But apparently Iris, Claire and Owen weren't the only ones with access to the truth. When did someone get the originals? Did they work for inGen? Was it someone who knew Maisie? Did they work for Mills?

Owen was up, with his brow furrowed. "What's going on?" He asked seriously.

"Maisie." Was all Claire could say, tears welling in her eyes.

"Claire?" Franklin said hesitantly. "There's more."

How much _more_ was there? Claire nodded, but couldn't get the words out. Suddenly the phone was taken from her hands. She didn't fight him. She tried to concentrate on breathing.

"Franklin? What's going on?"

Owen listened intently, and then sighed. "Are you at DTP headquarters? I have to take off today first, but we'll meet you there in an hour. Okay, bye."

Owen's hands covered Claire's shoulders. "Claire, we've got to go."

 **Please review. It motivates me. What do you think is going to happen?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews so far! Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 3**

"Why do I have to be up so early?" Maisie pouted. She was doing as she was told by Claire, which was to get dressed. Unfortunately for Claire, Maisie was very grumpy in the mornings, especially when she didn't get enough sleep.

"Something very important just came up at DPG. Both Owen and I need to be there, and since there's no one here to watch you, we need you to come with us." Claire clarified.

"Hmph." Maisie huffed, but pulled on her pants.

"You can sleep in the car, Mais." Claire suggested.

Both Claire and Maisie turned at the knock on Maisie's door. A few seconds later, Owen popped his head in. "Are we almost ready in here?"

"I don't wanna go." Maisie whined.

"It'll be quick, kiddo. You can go back to sleep in Claire's office as soon as we get there." Owen offered.

Maisie grabbed her stuffed animal that she'd had since her time at Lockwood Estates, and rubbed her eyes. "I'm ready."

"Okay, let's go." Claire replied, anxious to meet up with Franklin.

The 25-minute drive to DPG HQ turned into 45 minutes, as it was a Monday morning, so the roads were packed—not to mention the two accidents congesting the roads.

"I hate traffic." Owen grumbled.

Claire's phone buzzed, alerting her to a text from Franklin.

 _Where are you guys?_

She quickly texted back to let him know they were stuck in traffic. She was part glad, and part irritated that she was stuck in traffic. A part of her didn't think she was ready for the "more" information that Franklin had waiting for her. Another part of her was impatient and irritated for having to wait to find out. But she was avoiding thinking of all the possible scenarios about Maisie's uncertain future—and what that meant for them.

She didn't realize Owen was holding her hand until he squeezed hers reassuringly. She glanced in the rearview mirror to see a sleeping Maisie dozing peacefully.

"I'm scared, Owen." She whispered. "What if—?"

"Don't. Everything will be fine. We will get through this."

Claire nodded, but remained silent. She knew he was right. They had been through so much already. They could handle whatever else was about to come their way. Traffic began to ease up, and it wasn't long before Owen pulled into an empty parking spot in front of DPG headquarters. He carefully took Maisie out of the car, and Claire helped him ease her on the sofa in Claire's office. They then closed the office door and sat down across from Franklin's desk.

"Okay." Claire breathed. "How bad is it?"

She watched as Franklin hesitated. "Um, well. It's just news. I don't know if it's considered good or bad."

"Okay." Owen said slowly, glancing between Claire and Franklin, "What's the news?"

"Dr. Wu is alive. Here." He placed a few distorted pictures on the table for Claire and Owen to look at. "He was last spotted in Singapore, about two weeks ago. These were taken around that time by some men who were working for him. For InGen."

The last time anyone had seen Dr. Wu was when Franklin had tranquilized him, and a worker of Mills had drug him off somewhere, right as Zia released Blue as she and Franklin escaped. But it would make sense that if anyone knew of Maisie…it would be him.

"Do you think…do you think _he_ leaked Maisie's origins online?" Claire asked in a low voice.

"How would he even know something like that?" Owen wondered.

"He worked with Mills. I'm almost positive Mills mentioned it to him." Claire shook her head. "What else does he know?"

"I'm not sure. He's been working on something big though, Claire. He's been in hiding for over a year—and he even let rumors circle that he was dead. I don't know what's going on, but he's up to something."

"Should we tell DTC?" Claire asked.

"No." Owen & Franklin said together.

"How will we explain how we got the information?" Franklin countered.

"Not to mention, they will probably start asking questions about Maisie. And we need to figure that out first." Owen said.

"What if he is trying to create another monster? Like the indoraptor?" Claire's mind was racing, and she couldn't think straight. "Have you been tracking the rumors of the underground scientists?"

"Yes, but there's not much to go off. They've got everything sealed up pretty good. There are no backdoors for me to get into, or leaked information about it at all. I've been trying for months now, ever since the rumors started." Franklin sighed in frustration. "I'm trying, Claire!"

"Oh no, Franklin, I know." She said quickly, "And we appreciate everything you do."

"Right now, we need to focus on Maisie." Owen spoke quietly, bringing Claire's attention back to the one thing she'd been avoiding. She didn't know what to do, and it was taking everything in her to remain calm and strong. "Can you show me everything that was released online?" Owen asked Franklin.

"Yes." Franklin nodded and turned to his computer. He clicked around for a few moments before printing something out. He nodded towards the printer, and Owen quickly walked up and picked up the documents before reclaiming his seat.

Claire skimmed over the documents with him in a numbed state.

 _Subject 67ML2009 has survived infancy. She will be released into the living world from her incubator on June 15_ _th_ _, 2009 at approximately 3 months of age._

"So, her birthday is March 15th." Claire mumbled, more to herself than anyone else. She hadn't noticed that on the copy that Iris gave her. Who had this original copy? Why would they want to release it online?

"When did you say these were released?" Claire asked, looking up at Franklin.

"Earlier this morning."

"Do you know by who?"  
"Give me one sec…I might be able to track the IP…but if they're using a proxy then I'm not sure…but if I can reroute the…hm…damn it!" Franklin banged his hand on the table. "They're hidden behind a firewall. I can't tell."

"Hm…can you track Dr. Wu now that he's been spotted?" Claire asked.

"I can try. But what are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet." Claire replied, looking at Owen.

"We need to prepare for the fact that it's going to come out that Maisie is a clone. We need to prepare her, and we are going to have to fight for her." Owen said seriously.

"What if we lose her?!" Claire was on the brink of a panic attack and couldn't keep her voice from cracking.

"We won't. Do you still have that lawyer dude's number? The one that was trying to woo you?"

Claire rolled her eyes. "He wasn't trying to woo me."

"Do you have his number?" Owen asked again.

"Yes."

"Good. We need to make some calls."

"What can I do?" Franklin asked, looking from Owen to Claire.

"Keep tracking everything. I want hourly updates." Claire informed him.

 **Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The ride home was quiet, as Maisie was still sleepy. Both Claire and Owen had to figure out what their next move would be. They still needed to tell Maisie, but they wanted to wait until they had no other choice left. Franklin had mentioned to them that this information had only been released on the dark web. So mainstream media had not, as of yet, gotten a hold of it. This gave them some time to make statements and form some type of game plan.

It was 10:00 by the time they made it back home. Maisie elected to watch TV in her room, leaving Claire and Owen alone in the kitchen. It was Claire who spoke up first. She shifted hesitantly in her chair as she stared at Owen who was standing across the dining room table from her. "I think we should be the ones to alert the media, before they have a chance to get wind of it."

" _What?!_ " Owen thundered, with a look of shock on his face.

"Hear me out," Claire held her hands up in defense, "It's going to come out either way. We don't have to tell them everything. Just that DTG was recently made aware that experiments were being done…"

"And how do we explain that we have had a— _clone"_ Claire watch him put air quotes around the word and make a face as he said it. She knew he hated using the word to describe Maisie as much as she did. "—in our household for over a year? What do you think the Government is going to say?"

"Shit." Claire mumbled. She'd totally forgotten about the government. What _would_ they say? Would they take Maisie away from them? "Okay. What do you suggest then?"

"We call some lawyers. There must be a loophole. Then we wait for the Government to come to us. More than likely this will happen within the next 24 hours. If they aren't already on their way now." Owen said seriously.

"Already?" Claire squeaked incredulously.

"Yes."

"I can't believe this is happening." Claire sighed.

"Hey," Owen said suddenly, moving around the table to stand next to her, "we'll get through this. We are strong."

"Should we inform Iris?" Claire asked, remembering the woman who had been instrumental in Maisie's life.

"Yes…but not yet. Maybe after we talk to the lawyer. Why don't we give him a call? Ask him to meet with us as soon as possible?"

"Okay." Claire nodded, pulling out her phone. Russell Herera's assistant picked up on the second ring. Claire asked to speak to him, and she put him on speaker phone and gave him a short and abbreviated version of why they needed to meet. He seemed intrigued and offered to meet them later that day, around 2. Satisfied, Claire & Owen hung up.

"Are you sure we aren't making a mistake in telling _anyone_ about Maisie?" Claire asked, unsure.

"What choice do we have? Plus, he may already have his suspicions. He was, after all, Lockwood's personal attorney. He may have just been going along with the story of Maisie being Lockwood's granddaughter because he was under the assumption that we didn't know."

"Oh, that's true. I hope that's it."

"Me too." Owen agreed, gripping Claire's shoulder.

"I'm hungry."

Both Claire & Owen turned to look at Maisie, who had entered the kitchen.

"Eggs & pancakes, coming up." Owen said, which caused Maisie to smile.

"Yes!"

"Did you brush your teeth?" Claire asked.

"Um…"

Claire smiled and shook her head. "Go." Claire pointed to the bathroom on Maisie's side of the house.

"Ughhh, okay, okay." Maisie wined, but turned to do as she was told.

Owen had his back to Claire as he scoured the fridge looking for eggs. "I'm going to ask Zia to watch Maisie for us while we meet with Russell."

"Alright. Sounds good to me." Without turning around, Owen stuck out a thumbs up to Claire.

Pulling out her phone, she quickly shot over a text asking Zia to help her out. The reply was almost instant, saying it would be no problem. "We're all set. Now…"

"We wait." Owen finished the sentence for her, as he pulled the eggs out the fridge and closed the door.

The day felt like it was moving in slow motion for Claire. She watched how Owen was calm, cool & collected, & she tried to imitate him. He played with Maisie, and never once hinted that anything was amiss. She loved that about him. He was able to keep it together under stressful situations. So was she—normally. But the thought that anyone could possibly have the power to take Maisie away from them had her ready to fall apart. She hadn't realized just how much she wanted a family of her own until it happened.

It wasn't until Maisie had disappeared back into her room that Claire felt herself somewhat able to relax again. She and Owen were on the couch, watching the news. They had been monitoring it all day, just in case something had been said about the leaked documents online.

"We should get ready to go meet with _Russell._ " Owen emphasized the lawyer's name in a mocking tone, that made Claire roll her eyes.

"Would you give it a rest? He doesn't like me."

"Sure." Owen snorted, as he pushed off the couch. "I'm going to tell Maisie to get ready. Don't get _too_ fancy for our meeting with the guy, if you can help it."

It was Claire's turn to snort. Clicking the television off, she got up and went to their bedroom. She took extra time to choose a modest outfit so as not to give the wrong impression. She cared about getting answers for Maisie's well-being, not making a fashion statement.

30 minutes later there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Claire smiled at Zia. "Hey. Come on in."

"I charge by the hour, just so you know."

"Well then," Claire said, closing the door behind her, "Put it on my tab."

"Will do." Zia replied.

"Zia!" Maisie ran around the corner and wrapped her little arms around Zia's waist in a tight embrace.

Claire quirked an eyebrow at Zia, who wasn't known for her affectionate hug-giving attitude.

"Hey there, little one." She awkwardly patted Maisie's back, but didn't shy away from the hug. "What's up?"

"I want to show you the bug collection I've started!" Maisie said excitedly, jumping up and down and grabbing Zia's hand.

Owen walked in right as Zia and Maisie passed in the direction of Maisie's room. "Bye, Kiddo!" He nodded at Zia who returned the gesture.

"Be good, Mais! We'll only be gone for a little while!" Claire called out after them.

"Okay!"

The ride to Russell's office was quiet. Claire was unsure of what to say. She hoped Owen would take the lead with asking questions and getting the information she knew they desperately needed. When they arrived at Russell's office, Owen met Claire on her side of the vehicle and took her hand in his, squeezing it softly. He then confidently led the way inside.

"Good Evening Mr. Grady, Mrs. Dearing. Please do tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"You were Lockwood's top advisor and personal attorney." Owen cut right to the chase and said it as more of a statement than a question. His eyes were cold, and he gripped the arms of his chair tightly as he waited for an answer from the lawyer.

"Yes sir, that's correct." Russell hesitated slightly, "Why do you ask?"

"We need to know if he entrusted you with _all_ of his documents."

Panic briefly crossed the lawyer's face before he replaced it with a mask of coolness. "No, unfortunately, he did not."

"You're a damn liar!" Owen was out of his chair and inches away from Russell's face within seconds. Claire jumped to her feet and grasped Owen's arm. He blinked before looked at her. She silently pleaded with him with her eyes. He sighed and sat back down, glaring at the man.

"We know that there's no one Mr. Lockwood trusted more than you. We think that if there was anything worth knowing—you would know." Claire said.

"What exactly is there worth knowing about?" Russell chose his words carefully, eyeing Owen cautiously.

"The documents of Maisie Lockwood."

 ***Please review***


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't updated. I've been busy. This is a short chapter...enjoy.**

 **Chapter 5**

"Maisie Lockwood? His…granddaughter?"

"Yes." Claire was careful not to give Russell any information he didn't already have. She had to be careful in how she approached the subject of Maisie. "Do you have any of her original documents?"

"Didn't you receive copies from my firm?"

"We need the _originals."_ Owen's voice was tight. Claire shot him a pleading look, silently begging him to keep his cool.

"Ah. I see. Well, I'm not sure if I—"

"If you're about to give me some bullshit, I'll knock you out right here, right now!" Owen was not managing his anger well today.

"Okay." Russell put his hands up in defense. "I can't give you what you want."  
"Do you know what we want?" Claire asked, still not sure if they were on the same page.

"The _Certificate of Authentic Ownership._ " He whispered.

"What—?" Owen growled, ready to attack when Russell spoke up quickly.

"There's a certificate of authentic ownership that Mr. Lockwood had created for Maisie—since she is the first of her kind, along with her formal documents like her birth certificate. I can't give it to you."

"And why not?" Claire demanded, now feeling anger welling up inside her, too.

"It's…not currently in my possession."

" _Why_ do you even…" Claire's mind was racing. "Who has it?"

"It's currently being transferred to a third party."

"WHAT?!" Claire and Owen screamed, causing Russell to jump.

Before Claire could stop him, Owen had a fistful of Russell's shirt, and brought Russell inches away from Owen's face. "Who. Is. The. Third. Party? And I swear to God, you better not say who I'm thinking."

"…Ingen. I'm sorry! They offered me—ow!"

" _Owen!_ " Claire screamed again, and this time, Russell's assistant popped her head in, only to take in the disorienting scene in front of her. Owen had landed one punch right in the center of Russells face before releasing the man, causing him to grab his face in pain. It was a wonder he wasn't bleeding. Claire grabbed onto Owen's hand, afraid that he wasn't finished. Ignoring her, Owen poked a finger in Russell's shoulder, causing the man to flinch back.

" _You_ are going to fix this. You are going to call inGen and arrange to get it back, _immediately._ "

"I—I don't have their information. Every-y time—it's like they reach out and then disappear!"

"Mr. Herrera, is there a problem?" His assistants eyes flickered between Russell and Owen.

Glancing briefly at Owen, he shook his head quickly. "No Dolores, no problem. Please close the door."

Dolores hesistated for a split second before closing the door.

"Mr. Grady, I'm sorry. I don't think there's anything I can do at this point."

"I'm going to report you to the government that you're taking bribes." Owen threatened.

Russell's face showed shock. "Perhaps I can give you the number and email they have been using to contact me. Not sure if it will help, but—"

Claire thought of Franklin's skills and immediately cut Russell off. "We'll take it."

"You better hope we make some headway, or I'll be back." Owen grumbled, standing up.

15 minutes later, Claire and Owen we on the highway, heading back to their house. Owen was still tense, and Claire was too. She texted Franklin the information Russell had given them, to see if he could make some headway. He'd promised to check in later with an update.

"That son of a bitch really tried to give Maisie away! He wasn't even going to tell us anything! It makes me want to knock his face in!" Owen yelled, gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.

"Do you think we'll still have a chance to stop them? They can't legally take her, can they?" Claire asked, afraid of the answer.

"I don't know. But we're not waiting to find out." Claire watched as Owen pulled out his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"The Government. If we beat them too it, it will be better than them surprising us and showing up at the house."

He put the phone on speaker, and quickly arranged to have 2 agents meet them at their house tomorrow afternoon. Hanging up, he looked over at Claire.

"So now, we have to prepare Maisie, just in case."

"Just in case…" Claire couldn't finish the sentence.

"They have to take her." Owen whispered sadly.

 **What do YOU think is going to happen next?! Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heyy everyone, sorry I've been MIA. I had a writer's block. But I hope you enjoy!**

 **Chapter 6**

"Hey. Is everything okay?" Zia asked curiously as she walked out of Claire's apartment. She noticed the mood had changed dramatically for Claire and Owen versus when the left.

Claire nodded, not wanting to get into it. "Yeah, everything's fine."

"What did the lawyer say?"

"Actually—" Claire glanced over her shoulder to make sure Maisie wasn't in hearing range. "Things might not pan out the way we want it to. I can't go into detail now..,but do you think you can head over to DPG later today, and help Franklin? If he needs anything, let me know. I need you two more than ever."

Zia wanted to know exactly what was going on, but she knew when and where to pick her battles, and now wasn't one of them. She figured she'd wait and ask Franklin what was going on. For now, she gave Claire her best smile and nodded. "Sure thing, I'll head over there later. Whatever is going on, Claire, I know you and Owen will get through it. You guys have before."

Claire nodded, wishing Zia would be right. "Text me later. Thanks again." Claire waited until Zia was no longer visible past the closing of the elevator doors before closing her door. She then turned around so her back was against the door, and sighed. She felt like breaking down into tears, but she knew she had to be strong for Maisie's sake.

"Hey."

Claire looked up at Owen, who had emerged from Maise's side of the house. Before she could say anything, it was as if he read her mind.

"Maisie is playing with her toys. Preoccupied. Safe. Fine."

Claire nodded, relieved. "I think we should call Iris." Claire hated to have to bother the woman, but she felt as if Iris of all people deserved to know what was going on with Maisie.

"I agree." Owen said. Grabbing Claire's hand, he led her to their couch. "Go ahead." He said once they'd sat down.

With shaky hands, Claire pulled out the phone and dialed Iris' number. She picked up on the 2nd ring, in a panicked voice. Asking what happened—because they'd agreed they wouldn't contact her until Christmas time, and it was only May. They quickly brought her up to speed on the day's events in hushed tones so that Maisie would not overhear. They asked her to be ready to fly back to California in case they needed her. She agreed and was going to stand by for more news from them. After thanking them for keeping her in the loop, they hung up.

"Only one person left." Owen said softly, grabbing Claire's hands.

"I don't want to do this, Owen." She her voice crack but couldn't help it.

"I know, neither do it. But we have to prepare her."

"Okay." Claire nodded.

"Hey Mais?" Owen called out, while keeping his eyes locked onto Claire's.

"Yeah?" Maisie shouted back from her room.

"Could you come here a second?"

"Sure! Coming!" A few seconds later, Maisie appeared. She tilted her head to the side slightly after taking in the serious faces of Owen and Claire. "What did I do?"

"Nothing hunny. None of this…none of this is your fault." Claire said, stretching her arms out so that Maisie would come sit between her and Owen.

"None of what? What's going on?"

"Some people found documents online that tell the truth about you…being what you are." Owen said softly, choosing his words carefully.

"A clone?"

"Yes. But sweetheart we are going to do everything we can to protect you."

"What's going to happen to me now?"

"We're not sure. We know that _Ingen_ has an important document that has to do with you. We're going to try to get it back. But until we do…they might _think_ they have a chance of taking you from us, but—"  
"No!" Maisie screamed, and immediately began sobbing. "Please, I don't wanna go! I'm sorry!"

"Kiddo, shhhh, it's okay. Don't be sorry. You've got nothing to apologize for." Owen grabbed the sobbing girl and engulfed her in a hug. He began stroking her hair to quiet her. She was shaking from crying so hard. Claire could only watch as her heart broke.

"I'm-m-m s-s-sorry. Please. Please." Maisie kept stammering.

"Shhhh. It's okay. We will work this out, I promise."

"Yes, we will." Claire grabbed Maisie's hand and squeezed it.

It was a while for anyone said anything. Finally, Maisie pushed away from Owen and looked at both him and Claire.

"What are they going to do to me? Run tests on me like I'm some sort of _lab rat?_ "

"Maisie, listen to me." Claire's face was dead serious as she looked Maisie in the eyes. "You will _not_ be tested on. Not if we can help it. Owen and I love you. And we will do everything— _everything—_ in our power to protect you. You've got to believe that. Do you?"

"Yes." Maisie nodded.

"Okay. Good."

"We've got a plan." Owen whispered. Maisie's face snapped over to look at him.

"Really?" There was hope in her voice. "What is it?"

"If worst case scenario is that _somebody_ has to take you—we will make sure it can be Iris. So you'll be in safe hands until we can get everything sorted out. How does that sound?"

"Okay, that sounds good." For the first time since the conversation started, Maisie smiled.

Claire breathed a sigh of relief, and let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. She hoped everything was going to work out, just like they promised Maisie.

 **What did you think? Please review!**


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